US680195A - Railway-rail joint. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 680,I95. Patented Aug. 6, l90l.

R. B. CHARLTON.

RA'ILWAY BAIL .mun.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1901.) (No Model.)

c e wag .3 003 CI WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

g limhamd, B.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD B. CHARLTON, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE CONTINUOUS RAIL JOINT CO. OF AMERICA, OF NEW JERSEY.

RAlLWAY-'-RA lL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,195, dated August 6, 1901. Application filed April 5, 1901- Serial No. 54,464;- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD B. CHARLTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Rail Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompany.-v ing drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to provide for railway-rail joints a connection which shall not project below the base of the rail, but at the same time will press oppositely at its upper and lower edges against the head and base of the rail in a stable position, to secure a firmer pressure of the connection at its upper and lower edges against the head and base of the rail and a more elastic joint, to enable material of a higher percentage of carbon to be employed, whereby the same stiffness of parts with less weight is secured, and to obtain other advantages and results some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved railway-rail joint and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

. Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, Figure 1 shows my invention in side elevation as applied to the abutting ends of two rails. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on line at, Fig. 1; and Figs. 3,4, and 5 are similar cross sectional views illustrating modifications of construction.

In said drawings, a a indicate the abutting ends of two railway-rails, each comprising an upright web a, head a", and base a the under surface of the head and the upper surface of the base diverging outward from the web at each side thereof, as is usual.

My improved joint consists, broadly, of two fish-plates of peculiar conformation placed one at each side of the web a of the rails and adapted to bear at its upper and lower edges against the head a and base a of the rail, respectively. Each fish-plate is U-shaped in cross-section or has longitudinal flanges projec'ting from the upper and lower edges of its upright portion, and between said flanges is adapted to be arranged a spreading or rein The fish-plates are rolled out of metal, preferably steel, and each in its preferred form, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, has an upright body partb with outwardly-projecting flanges b 1), extending one obliquely downward from the bottom edge of the body part and the other obliquely upward from the top of the body part. These flanges are adapted at their line of junction with the body part a to engage the under side of the head and the upper side of the base of the rail, respectively, as shown. Between the said flanges b I), which thus diverge outwardly apart, is adapted to be placed in upright edgewise position a spreading or reinforcing plate 0, beveled at its opposite edges to fit against the inner faces of the flanges b b and being of such width that it will enter the mouth of the channel-like head and base of the rail and the wedge-likespreader or reinforcing plate is forced in between the flanges b of the fish-plate. The Whole is thus bound firmly and solidly together and a box-like girder-joint secured. A washer g is preferably used beneath the nut (1 as is common. This construction distributes the strain between the body part?) of the fish-plate and the reinforcing-plate 0, thus enabling said parts to be madethinner, whereby they may contain a higher percentage of carbon and still be punched for the bolt-holes. This secures greater stifl'nes's, as well as economizes material. Again, no part of the joint projects below the rail-base or plane of the tops of the ties, so that in laying the ties they do not require to be accurately spaced to admit downwardly-projecting parts. This saves labor and time, and, furthermore, the absence of do wnWardly-projecting parts permits a proper tamping of the tie directly beneath the rail.

' Obviously the spreading or reinforcing plate and the channeled fish-plate may be varied in form or shape without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention. In Figs. 1 and 2, for example, I have shown a reinforcing-plate c at one side of the rail, which is bowed outwardly to secure greater elasticity. In Fig. 3 the fish-plates efare shown in reversed position or with their upright body parts outward and flanges ef, respectively,

projecting toward the rail. One of these fishplates, as e, provides by its flanges 9' converging surfaces e while the other, f, provides diverging surfaces f both with reference to the body of the fish-plate spoken of. Spreading-platesc'careinsertedandaclamping-bolt (Z, which does not pass through the 'fish-plate e, having converging flanges, but

engages at its head the spreading-platein said fish-plate. Fig. 4 shows the same construction my improved box-girder connection on one side of a rail in use, with a fish-plate 72s of an ordinary construction on the other side.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new isl. A rail-joint plate consisting of an elongated plate having a foot and top flangeprojiecting therefrom laterally in reversely-obing means adapted to be forced between said flanges.

2. A box-girder fora rail-joint, comprising an elongated fish-plate having a foot and top flange projecting therefrom laterally in reversely-oblique directions at the same side, and an interposed reinforcing-plate bearing against the inner surfaces of the foot and top flanges at a distance from the main plate.

3. A box-girder for a rail-joint, comprising an elongated fish-plate having a foot and top flange projecting therefrom laterally in reversely-oblique directions at the same side, an interposed reinforcing-plate bearing against the inner surface of the foot and top flanges at a distance from the main plate, and means for clamping the members together and to the 5. In a rail-joint, the combination with the meeting ends of two rails, having an upright Web and a head and base forming at the under and upper sides, respectively, outwardlydiverging surfaces, of a fish-plate having a body part adapted to lie parallel to the railweb at a distance therefrom and having at its opposite edges flanges projecting laterally at the same side and presenting oppositely-inclined surfaces on their inner faces and at their outer faces being adapted to engage the head and base of the rail, a spreader adapted to engage the inner inclined faces of the said flanges, and means for clamping said parts together.

6. In a rail-joint, the combination with a rail having an upright web, a headand a base projecting therefrom and. forming at their facing sides divergent surfaces, of a fish-plate comprising a plate substantially U-shaped in cross-section and adapted to be laid between said head and base of the'rail with its middle or body part parallel thereto, a spreading or reinforcing plate adapted to be inserted between the flanges of the fish plate parallel to i the body part, and bolts passing transversely through the rail, fish-plate and spreader for clamping them together.

lique directions at the same side, and spread- In testimony that I claim the foregoing I l have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of March, 1901.

RICHARD B. CHARLTON.

Witnesses:

M. E. CHRISTENSEN, HUGH P. KAYE, Jr.

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